School celebrates its 200th birthday

Catholic institution flourished with Protestant help

The founding 200 years ago of a Catholic school that owes its existence in part to the help of Protestants was marked by a special service yesterday.

The Paisley Catholic School was opened in one room of a building in the town’s Dyers’ Wynd in 1816 – and its links with Protestants were very unusual at the time in staunchly Presbyterian Scotland, where Roman Catholicism was looked upon by many with suspicion and even distaste.

The story of the school, which was run by a committee of 12 Roman Catholic and 12 Protestants, was told in a book launched last year by retired headmaster Tom Higgins.

He said at the time: “From the outset, the education of the Catholic poor in Paisley was beholden in good measure to the goodwill and the financial support of the local Protestant community.

“The collaboration between Protestants and Catholics provided opportunities for friendships and alliances to be formed in other areas of local cooperation.

“Paisley priest Father John Bremner found a regular ally in the Rev Patrick Brewster, minister of Paisley Abbey in his political activities.”

Early teaching at the school was provided by two French priests, who had fled to Paisley as refugees from the French Revolution.

They also provided private tuition for the children of Paisley’s emerging Protestant entrepreneurs, while at the same time undertaking pastoral work among the growing Catholic population.

One of them was Abbe Despraux. He saw the need for a school and several local businessmen and Protestant clergymen and professionals shared his vision and responded to his appeal.

The school was initially in Dyers’ Wynd.

It had 57 day scholars and 46 evening scholars. It moved to Orr Square in 1822. The school was eventually taken over by the St Mirin’s mission in 1845.

There were at least 100 pupils in one room and the curriculum was ‘English, Writing, Arithmetic and the elements of English Grammar.’

It was also agreed that Religious Education could be taught and bibles were provided by the Abbey Parish.

The school was open Monday to Friday and on Saturday mornings.

The first teacher was Hugh Doyle, whose qualifications were meeting an acceptable standard in English, reading, writing and arithmetic.

The Rt Rev John Keenan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley, said the school was an encouraging tale of cooperation between Catholics and Protestants.

He added: “The very existence of the Paisley school was due largely to the support of the Protestant population of the town, something which could not have been predicted a few years earlier.”